New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-27
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
CENTRAL AMERICA.

GUATEMALA, THE LHN nr,cnAM, A. NJ illustrated
s EXC mn 453 Charlie. serioher 'ON' os;doa
a. ,,r;rbam has travelled through anu -,
H. Guatemala with his practicaI 81 '. no y,
&c.. oves wide open. and in MS or'.e'' =,
&c estimates appears the charac'er u w., - no
.ra;rs who cannot helped rclhe NoN'" ,..a.;on
o. ,,.a ON, ortunities for commerce or Prouu'..O
eeeo lily a, lie has, however, his scientlnc
w. and his knowledge of botany ADDS value
DIV, .,.ro., IN his descriptions Of the iuXuriah'
ON - th;s troncal region. Guatemala cannot
,,or,, pleasant country to travel IN. friiil-
'.;,,. wavs persist there The people are sluggish
moor indolcnt, half savage The roaos are 81
Ill, had In half the villages there are ho
nnblic tayerns or posadas. The resting p'"0e'
,vhether public or private, are usually u"''
,,ogs. poultry and sometimes cattle sh"ro u''
common sleeping rooms Insect lie Is 100 "D"
dant for comfort. Venomous reptiles' mug -;
tarantulas, and all manner OF huge spi"v,'' ..ra
pedes and scorpions, with alliga'ors Ill 'n0 a:,a
and sharks on the coasts, afford Pereniii"i .to
ment Of ANYTHING but an agreeable hho '" '
newcomer. ,...h,o n blame
IT. would. however be most inequi'"oc - ~,
the (uatema latecans for this state oi 'i'ine' "
aver il in them has for centuries peeh i'p'
nv tyranny. They are but no" oesi -,
emerge from q long night OF ehsiaNeh'""
cruelty and imbecle superstition, crushed thein
a,r,n', tbro. centuries That they have real
oorohi,;,ies Of no mean order has, however, been
nroved by the striking progress the State maze
IN the single decade of Barros's rule. His death
,ras tho most grave misfortune the little repuoHo
couId hive suffered Had he lived ten years
,oncer he would have established the prosperity
NJ his country and given it an impetus suhicich'
IN carry il forward q full generation; ny WIN"
time the habit of progress would have Occh 'oii'
nrmed. The difficulties in the way OF ADVANCE
ere those which affect all the Centrai anu oou'"
American States The climate fosters lhuoiei'o
and derives improvidcne of its terrors, ana Wlae
tho climate fails TO do man has sought to accom-
plisb by force and fraud. At present, accoroihs
ia Mr. Brigham, while the native resources VI
Guatemala are magnificent. and the prosicc's ior
the future, though conditional yet hopelu III
immense amount of development has to be dohe'
and apparently will not be undertaken unless W
foreign capital.
There is apparently not much encouragement
for American capital TO enter into this WORK ~
long as United States commerce is practically eX-
cpded from the country. Nearly all the imports
NOW ore from Great Britain, which does trade
Of between three and four million dollars year
There This might be indefinitely extended II the
country were opened up by railways, and If the
indolent planters were by men oil energy
and foresight. OF course this is n large demand
and il is not at apparent how 1t is 10 De met
1t may be that the mineral wealth oil Guatemala
will soonest attract foreign capital, ana That the
needs of the mines will lead to the expansion OF
the railway system and the cultivated area lie
soil will grow almost everything, and it is deep
To-day probably it does not produce title OF It's
capacity. In fact scientific tllagc is done
tven the plough is unknown. The earth Is
simply tickled with hoe and laughs back IA har-
vest Labor is very cheap, an average days wage
icing twenty -ive cents Food also is cheap ana
therefore railway construction should be economl-
cal The climate is declared to be healthy, the
usual tropical fcvcrs being scarcely known 1t
must. however, be a long time before Guatemala
can he q State 10 he desired place of residence
for any other purpose than mOncy-maISing, and so
long as the political situation and prospects of
Central America continue uncertain there is no
strong probability that American capital will seek
that field of investment.
Mr.. Brigham has travelled across Guatemala.
and over most Of it, in one way or another, and
evidently knows the region quite thoroughly. There
appears 10 be little or no danger in travelling
though there is plenty Of crime among the half
savage lndios. IndispositiOn TO exert themselves
in any way seems TO be the leading characteristic.
OF native manufactures woven fabrics and pottery
are the chief staples and much Of the latter shows
q high degree Of skill. The cloth is made on
primitive looms, with reckless expenditure of
time. much after the fashion Of the shawl-mallnG
and ivory-carvng of India until recently. The
Quctzal, which is the national bird Of Guatemala.
is very brilliant plumagcd creature which seems
cross between parrot and bird Of paradise
II is Of so free a spirit that il cannot be tanned.
always dying in captivity.
Mr. brigham is an observing traveller and has
made the most Of expeditions presenting singu-
larry few features Of general interest. 1t must
be concluded that his equanimity was good deal
disturbed by the half wild dogs he found at every
house. he would hardly have put in print so
sweeping and vindictive philippe against dogs
In general as he gives vent TO. Fancy a nine
tecnth century man saying in cold blood that the
Guatemalan dogs are useless for the only purpose
tcsdes hunting the dog seems TO have been created
for-human food" There is no civilization in
that sentence, but how melancholy confession Of
q tcmperamcntal defect involving infinite loss OF
delight and consolation. The man who hates
dogs is indeed to be sincerely pticd as rule too,
Though we make no present application Of it, he
is a man to be held aloof, as one not furnished
forth with a full humanity. Mr.. Brigham has
illustrated his boo', from photographs. and gem
orally in fecitOus way. lie has also shown
his business sense in providing an index TO it,
CLASSIC AMERICAN LITERATURE.
WASHINGTON IRVING REPUBIIsHED The Tappan
Zee Edition. O. y. Putnam's Sons New-York
Somebody who must have been intensely absorbed
In the questions pertaining TO "ltcrary rnovcmenes